


Twisted Dimensions 2.0

by Festus



Series: Alice's Askran Adventures [1]
Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series
Genre: ALL ABOARD THE FEELINGS TRAIN, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, GUYS THAT LAST TAG IS NOT WHAT YOU THINK IT WON'T BE DESCRIBED-, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Underage Prostitution, OC Summoner, Suicide Attempt, WOO FLUFF ADVENTURE
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-10
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2019-03-02 20:28:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13325895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Festus/pseuds/Festus
Summary: "You're kind to me, Alfonse," she spoke, casting a smile to the prince. He had no idea why, but it was contagious. So he cast back a smile of his own, wishing to bask in Alice's presence for just a couple more minutes...





	1. Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Revamp leT'S GO-

_It was midnight when I ran. My feet ached, the rain that fell from the sky soaked my sweater. My earphones hung in front of my chest, connected to my phone, which was in my back pocket. And in my hand was the thing which would take my life. The thick rope that would save me from my misery. I could hear his insults, the insults of my father, they echoed behind me; "You filthy slut! You failure! You waste of space! Get back here - you failed abortion! ALICE!" Each insult hurt more than the last. And the way he said my name, Alice, was nothing but a knife cutting deep into my skin. The laughter that echoed from my older siblings was even worse - I was nothing to them._

 

_Even as I made it to the forest, the pain continued to grow. Though their voices were gone, my need to disappear became greater. When I found a remote area, where it would take ages for someone to find me, I climbed my chosen tree and attached my rope - my **end** \- to a branch I was sure would be able to hold my weight. I was rather light anyway. Once I had finished, I jumped off of the branch and onto the ground - it hurt my legs a bit, it wasn't as if it mattered. I grabbed a nearby log for me to stand on, and once it was where I desired, I stepped up onto it and brought the loop of the rope around my neck. And I kicked the log from under my feet, I felt the rope cut off my ability to breathe. _

 

_My eyes felt warm. I could feel something wet roll down my cheek. I knew I was crying, and after a couple of seconds, I felt like I was drowning in tears. My vision started going white... Why white? Do you know those times where you're about to fall asleep, but you suddenly feel like your falling, so you snap awake again? That's what I was feeling. And through it all, a voice called out to me; "Come forth, Great Hero!" After that... Everything went blank._

 

* * *

 

**Anna's POV:**

I heard myself squeal slightly, unable to contain the excitement of summoning the Legendary wielder of Breidablik. Whoever Breidablik summoned would be Askr's savior, and all I could wonder was who it was going to summon. The glow of the Summoning Ruins grew at such a fast rate, my squealing continued to grow. I was soon met with a concerning sight, however.

 

When the glow of the Ruins had gone and Breidablik's chosen one was brought forth, I saw a young teenager on her knees, coughing and greedily gasping for air. She had a rope tied around her neck and she had bushy, red hair that actually had some curls to it, a baggy shirt of sorts with a hood, tight pants and odd looking shoes that had a bow on them - perhaps to help keep them on. And she was soaked, too. My face fell into a frown - she looked distressed. Without much thought, I dropped to her side. "Are you alright?"

 

Her coughing slowed, and she was just trying to even out her breathing pattern at this point. She seemed to disregard my question, because she looked up at me and tilted her head. "W-Who..." I heard her try to say, but her voice was hoarse and barely present - it seemed to scare her. So I gently shushed her, my hand raising to her back.

 

"Shh, shh... Don't speak..." I almost cooed, my concern getting the best of me. "Here, let's get this rope off." I placed Breidablik onto the ground - I forgot I had it in my hand before - and brought my hands to the item that was no doubt going to be used to kill the poor, cold girl in front of me. Sadly, I didn't even get a chance to begin. I heard it - a loud yell behind us, indicating the presence of someone else.

 

 "FOUND YOU!" I heard a voice behind me. How did those Emblians find us so quickly? I didn't even get to hear anything from this poor girl - speaking of her, she snapped her head up at the newer voice, I saw her scoot back a bit, obviously scared. I furrowed my eyebrows, looking behind me - ah, I must have dropped Nóatún after seeing the state of the chosen wielder. With a grimace, all I could do was lunge forward and grab my large axe, getting ready to swing at the Emblian before us.

 

**Alice's POV:**

My hands were shaking uncontrollably. _What the hell was going on?_ Why wasn't I dead? Or, was this perhaps an afterlife of sorts? I was so confused. My flurry of thoughts was acting up more than usual. It was a nightmare. I was confused, lost, anxious and so many other things - _why couldn't I just be dead already?_ The way my wet sweater rubbed against my skin was uncomfortable. But what was even more uncomfortable was the way the woman with her large axe and her Celtic-patterned armor had slaughtered the man in armor that contrasted her own in terms of color.

 

I could see the blood that splattered from the man who was pretty much dead at this point - the woman showed no mercy to those who opposed her. The scent of his blood began to swell in the air, and it made me gag. It all happened so fast, I couldn't keep up. She came back to me, the woman. She knelt by me again, dropping her axe and bringing her hands up to my face. She brushed some of my wet bangs away from my face. "Sorry about that," she started, chuckling nervously, "are you cold?"

 

I was freezing. So I nodded, but I didn't say anything. I didn't _want_ to say anything. I saw her hands move and my immediate reaction was to flinch, to close my eyes in fear... Though it was replaced with confusion once I felt something warm over my shoulders - it was her cape. It didn't quell the cold completely, but it felt nicer than before. When I opened my eyes, I was met with a smile. "Come." She grabbed my hand, and I couldn't help but give it a weak squeeze. I was tired. "I'll take you to our camp and we can get you all cleaned up. And then I'll explain what's going on, okay?"

 

Again, I could only nod. She helped me off of the ground, disregarding my rope for now - I wanted it off, but for now I ignored it. She bent over to grab her axe and I bent down to grab the strange gun-looking item she had before. She then tugged my hand to let me know we were off.

 

~

 

I felt like we had been walking forever. But the last time I checked my phone to look at my clock, it was 12:45 AM back in Denmark. Now it was 12:50 AM. We'd only been walking for about 7 minutes. The woman had introduced herself as Anna - I had to use my notepad on my phone to tell her my own name, I simply couldn't speak. It hurt too much and I had almost no voice, as if I had a really bad cold. I could only pray to whatever god was out there that we weren't going to be attacked again.

 

Alas, my prayer seemed to jinx the situation, for another voice had called out; "THERE SHE IS! GET HER!" Anna readied her axe, and since the voice came from behind us, she turned around and gently pushed me behind her. I couldn't help but begin to shake again, I pulled her cape tighter around my body, hoping it could offer some sense of security as Anna rushed out into battle, raising her axe to deliver a slash to the other's side - the opponent was once again, a man. When the blade of her axe made contact, I closed my eyes. 

 

It was here that I felt the rope being tugged at once more, forcing me back against someone rather roughly. I heard a sinister laughter, a shadowed face revealing itself over my shoulder. I wanted to scream Anna's name, to grab her attention. But my voice would fail me again, I knew. "P-Please..." I choked out, raising a hand to my throat as the newcomer tugged at my rope again. It hurt. My neck was already sore from my attempt - the person, they wanted to make it painful. They wanted me to suffer.

 

Before I could even begin crying, a sword stabbed through them, right through their shoulder and next to my face. The rope was released, allowing me to be free of the torment they no doubt wanted to put me through. They dropped to the floor, the hand that held my rope on their shoulder. I turned around and backed up from them. Until my eyes met the gaze of a man. A young man with blue hair and golden tips. His eyes were the same color, and his armor was all sorts of complicated, I couldn't focus on it correctly.

 

I felt nauseous. The smell of blood entered my nose once more, my vision blurred. I tried saying something to the young man, anything. But my head was pounding. I had a headache. My vision darkened, and my exhaustion fell onto my shoulders like boulders. It felt like I only stared at the young man for a second, before darkness clouded my vision completely...

 


	2. "Why am I here?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alice does a woke and accepts helping Askr.
> 
> This is more of a filler thing. Sharena will be here soon, so that's always something-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lmao I have no notes.
> 
> Except that I panicked and had to write the ret of chapter 1 after accidentally posting it.

**Alfonse’s POV:**

I couldn’t help but panic as the girl with the rope around her neck collapsed - I was lucky I managed to catch her before she hit the ground. She was wet. Soaked, even. I saw it fall out of pocket - Breidablik. I was able to figure out that she was the one meant to wield it. She was our Great Hero. I was confused though.  _Why the rope?_ I had to disregard that question for now. This girl looked super distressed and cold, and what was no doubt Anna’s cape was all she had to keep her warm. With those thoughts in the back of my mind, I brought an arm under her back and the other under her knees. I raised her from the ground, scanning the area for the Commander. 

 

"Prince Alfonse!" I heard her. I heard her voice call my name. It was Anna. Ah, she was just further down the field. Perfect. She looked concerned as she approached though, noticing her gaze brought to the ground. She picked up Breidablik from the ground, holding onto it herself. 

 

I couldn't help but smile slightly, happy to see Anna was okay. "Commander Anna. There you are...! Is this...?" I had to confirm it for sure. Her otherworldly clothing had told me she wasn't from Zenith, but...

 

"Yes, Alfonse, she's the Great Hero. She showed up like this though - with the rope and all..." Her voice was quiet and full of concern. Then again, who wouldn't be worried? To be honest, the rope brought me down to two conclusions; she was either about to be executed or she was about to commit suicide. Either way, I couldn't help but feel gladdened over the fact that we summoned her now, and not later. "Alice... Her name is Alice," Anna muttered.

 

I sighed, feeling her shiver slightly - and with what seemed to pure instinct, she even huddled up to me, her body desperately searching for some source of warmth, no doubt. I furrowed my eyebrows, Anna fixing the way her cape sat on this girl. "Alice..." I had to say the name, to see how it felt to say it. It felt... Oddly natural. "...We should bring her back to camp," I started, feeling her shiver a bit more, "she's freezing, and if she keeps this on any longer, she might get sick. Who knows how cold it is in her world?" My voice was kind of weak at the end. I had mixed feelings about her already - she looked like a really nice girl, truly... But after what had happened with Zacharias, I knew it was perhaps a bad idea to get attached to other people.

 

I felt a hand on my shoulder. Oh, right. Anna was still here, and she had ripped me from my thoughts. Again, I felt her shiver. "Come, Alfonse..." The Commander released my shoulder. Her axe was leaning up against her leg, so she had to have let go of it to place that hand on my shoulder. I watched her grab it again, moving past me to make her way towards the camp. So I followed her without much else thought.

 

* * *

 

 

**Anna's POV:**

When Prince Alfonse and I made it back to camp, our first course of action was to bring Alice to the Infirmary tent. Alfonse was sure to be gentle when resting her on one of the cots there, and then we were immediately rushed out by the Cleric currently on duty there, since Alfonse had requested that her attire was removed and she herself was put into something warmer. And now her clothes were in my tent, drying off. In the meantime, I had left Alfonse for a bit to send Princess Sharena on a scouting mission in the World of Mystery. And now, I sat back in the tent with Alfonse, waiting for Alice to wake up. Her strange device was left on a table next to her cot, along with Breidablik.

 

Her neck was red, and one can see markings from the rope she had around her neck earlier - I was happy we managed to get it off. I heard a nervous shuffling from Alfonse, his gaze intense on the redhead on the cot. I tilted my head. "Prince Alfonse... Are you alright?" I was hesitant, of course. I know how touchy he is when it comes to his feelings - he normally tried to hide them, if they would only hinder progress towards a goal.

 

He looked up at me, seeming startled. But then he sighed and looked back at Alice. "That rope," he started, taking a couple of breaths, "it could only mean two things, Commander... As far as I know of." He let his gaze slowly wander towards me. It looked so... Distressed. It caught me off guard. "She was either about to executed or... She was trying to take her own life. Suicide." His voice kind of broke. I knew how sympathetic he could be especially around the suicide subject. "She's depressed - I can see it on her. I recognize it." His voice trembled as he continued. I knew where he recognized it from... It was how he was when Zacharias had disappeared.

 

I was going to respond, but then she stirred. She gave off a weak groan, one that she immediately regret, for she sharply inhaled afterwards. Alfonse was immediately at her side, his hand hovering by her arm - when she opened her eyes, she looked startled... No, scared as she looked up at Alfonse. She wanted to speak, but considering how her throat was, all she could opt to do was scoot away from him. "Who...?" She started, but then raised a hand to her throat, flinching at the pain.

 

"Anna, go get her some tea with honey in it - it'll help with her throat." Alfonse spoke with a soft tone I haven't heard in ages. And I also knew he spoke as my Prince, not my soldier. So without hesitation, I stood up and left the tent...

 

**Alice's POV:**

I watched as Anna walked out of the tent, ready to carry out the request from the young man had asked of her. And once she was gone, I slowly turned my gaze back to him, fidgeting under the fur blankets that covered my lap, now that I was sitting up. I couldn't speak, but I wanted to figure out was his name was. He watched me with an unnerving gaze as I looked to the table next to me, spotting my phone. With hesitance, I reached out for it and unlocked it. With furrowed eyebrows, I went into my memos and made a new one, before typing. _"You're the person I saw before blacking out. ...I'm Alice. What's your name?"_

 

I showed him my screen, and with interest, his gaze wandered toward it, reading what it was I had written. He then looked up at me with a small smile. "I'm Alfonse. A Prince of Askr. It's nice to meet you, Alice." He then looked down at my phone again, tilting his head. "If I may, Alice... What is this?" He pointed at the screen of my phone. I couldn't help but smile slightly at his formal speech.

 

Looking down, I began to type away again. But I cast subtle glances up at the boy who called himself Alfonse. And when I once again held my device up to him, he read; _"Ah, it's a cellphone... But if you have no idea what this is, and I have no idea what Askr is, then... I must not be home. I wish I could go more in-depth with my answer to your question, though... Maybe when my throat feels better."_ He nodded in acknowledgement at the message, finding it to be a good idea as well - at least I assumed that was what his nod meant. Retracting my hand, I typed a bit more, and held it out to him again; _"Can I have an explanation on what is going on? I mean, if it inconveniences you then I understand, but I am super confused."_

 

Once I held it out to him again, and he read my words, he looked away, clearly nervous. "...Alice. You're not in your own world right now." He took a deep breath, pulling up a chair and sitting on it. He then put his hands together, elbows resting on his knees. "You are in the world of Zenith. I am from a kingdom known as Askr. And we are currently at war with another kingdom, Embla." I scooted closer to him, he pointed to something on the table. "That," he continued, "is an ancient relic that only you can wield. Our Commander, the woman who just left earlier, had performed a summoning ritual to call upon you. You see, we aren't... Doing too well, sadly. So we summoned you in hopes of getting your help." His gaze wander down to his knees. "...I realize that right now you are in such a bad condition, and I promise that we will bring you back back to full health, but... Will you help us?" He sounded desperate.

 

I felt my face fall into a frown. I scooted closer to him, placing a hesitant, tired hand on his leg. "Y-Yes..." I choked out. He snapped his gaze upwards, letting himself place a hand on my arm. He frowned too, most likely at the use of my voice. Before he could object to me speaking more, Anna returned, a cup in her hand. Once she fully approached what I was laying on, she handed me the glass mug. I looked up at her, unsure at first, but when she nodded at me, I let my hands grasp it before she let go. "T-Thank..." A deep breath. "...You..."

 

"You shouldn't strain your throat, Alice," Alfonse spoke up again. I nodded, looking down at the drink Anna presented to me. After waiting a bit for it to cool down, I took a sip and sighed in relief after swallowing...


	3. Siblings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SHARENA, WOO.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am gonna add a tag to this story because I realize that things that will come later are a part of an AU.
> 
> It only changes Breidablik though.
> 
> Also, I have made a side page for Alice on Tumblr, because I thought it could be cool to interact with people in character! So, if you wanna check that out, the link is right here:  
> https://askran-heroine.tumblr.com/

**Alfonse's POV:**

When Alice had felt like she was good enough to start walking again, Anna had taken her out to go greet some of the soldiers around the camp, and just showed her about. Though I could see that she still required a bit of assistance getting around, the way she clung to the Commander's arm was a rather big sign of such. A lot of the soldiers gave a wave or a bow, and from a distance it was also easy to see that she wasn't quite used to these types of interactions. On top of that, the clothes we had provided her with to replace the gown she had used in the infirmary seemed so foreign to her. I wouldn't exactly say she looked uncomfortable in them, though. In fact, she was... Excited? That was at least the impression she gave off.

 

When she was able to talk again, the tea and a Healer named Aethelind were a great help on that matter, and she was asked to say something, her first response made Commander Anna and Aethelind smile. She gave a thank you. And from there, our current situation had come about. And to be honest, I had no idea what to make of it. So all I could do was stand there and sort out my thoughts.

 

Of course, that all came to an end when Anna happened to remember something. I continued to watch from afar as the Commander rushed toward me, pulling Alice along. I could see the confusion clear on our Hero's face - she had no idea what was going on. I couldn't help but frown slightly, which was obviously caught by her, for she violently flinched and looked away. When the two girls fully approached, Alice's gaze was downcast and glued to the floor.

 

"Alfonse!" The Commander looked rather frantic, as if she had forgotten something. I nodded at her, ignoring Alice for now, telling the Commander to continue. "I forgot I sent your sister on a scouting mission! She could be in danger!"

 

I tensed, I heard a small, weak gasp from Alice. She snapped up her head and looked to me, then to Anna. "I-Is there anyway we can go save her?"

 

I furrowed my eyebrows and shook my head. "Anna and I will grab some soldiers and head out, you should stay here at the camp. You haven't fully recove-"

 

I couldn't even finish. She cut me off before the opportunity was presented, her face showing clear determination; "To hell with my condition, your sister is more important!"

 

I had no idea if Anna could see it, but I was baffled. She hadn't even met Sharena yet, but... Here she was declaring that my sister was more important than herself. I had no idea how to respond to that. Truly, there was more to Alice than I thought - she was filled to the brim with resolve, that much can be said. I waited about a minute before sighing and rubbing the back of my neck. "...Fine. You can come as long as you promise to stick close to one of us two, alright?" I finally concluded, her answer being a nod.

 

"I promise, Prince Alfonse."

 

"Good. Let's go."

 

* * *

 

 

**Alice's POV:**

Alfonse, Anna and I had been walking for a good ten minutes now, but to be honest... I had no idea what we were looking for. Or where we were even going. Alfonse was up ahead of Anna and I, possibly to keep an eye out for enemies. Anna, meanwhile, had been explaining why there was the war between Askr and Embla - I couldn't remember if she had mentioned Embla before - so I had an idea of what was going on, and I managed to pair it up with what Alfonse told me earlier. I still had to grasp Anna's arm to walk correctly - as correctly as I could, anyway. It was hard to do so fully due to my flat feet, and Breidablik clanking quite painfully against my bony hip - we managed to find a holster for it before we set off.

 

The clothing lent to me was comfortable though, so that was always good; the navy blue shirt I wore was a bit big, but that was honestly fine with me. Along with that, the baggy pants made me feel slightly exposed at first, but once I got used to them, they felt like pajama pants. And the gray cape I was wearing was thick and woolly, perfect for keeping me warm! In fact, my biggest problem was the boots - already, could I feel how tired my feet were, as I was straining to walk normally, so I gave up about halfway.

 

It felt like forever until we finally stopped, Alfonse having held up his hand to signal for us to cease our walking. I took that as a moment to quietly catch my breath. It didn't take long though, until Alfonse came jogging back to us, clearly looking slightly distressed. Once he made it over to us, he took a moment to just breathe - it lasted about a second - and then began to speak to Anna, casting subtle, barely noticeable glances at me. I couldn't tell if it was worry or anger, but it made me uncomfortable either way - _was he not pleased with me?_

 

"Commander, there are three Emblian soldiers up ahead - I fear we may not be able to take them on our own," he conveyed, clear frustration in his voice. Anna took a moment to think over this, and her and I made eye contact for a brief moment. And Alfonse's gaze returned back to me as well, causing me to sharply inhale. "...We can't leave her here alone, if that's what you're thinking."

 

"Prince Alfonse, what weapons were these soldiers carrying?" I finally looked back up at him, burying my discomfort for now, before Anna could speak. Confusion was what I was met with, but he answered, as I wished for.

 

"One had a lance, another had a sword and the third had an axe. May I ask why?" I felt both of their - ah, not wary, but not like extremely intense - gazes on me, wondering what it was that had persuaded me to present such a question.

 

I pointed to his sword. "That's faster than an axe, yes? You should be able to have the advantage over the guy with the axe." I gave him no time to answer, he merely gave a nod before I pointed to Anna's axe. "And that... It can break a lance. So therefore, you can gain the advantage through those means."

 

They took a moment to mull over what I had said. Anna and Alfonse looked to each other, and nodded. "That does sound reasonable," Alfonse started, though looked down in worry about other things... I could see it on his face. "...What will we do about the sword unit?" They both looked at me expectantly.

 

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. I bit the insides of my mouth in thought - though I didn't do it too roughly. As I placed my hand on my hip, I felt my phone in the pocket of the pants I wore. I quickly shoved my hand in to pull out my cellular device, earning confusion. Then I looked down at my cape, adopting a smile.

 

"I've got a plan!"

 

* * *

 

 

**Anna's POV:**

We were lucky that there was a dense forest bordering the small island near the gate that led to the World of Mystery - Alice's plan required the ability to hide. Alfonse and I watched as Alice wrapped that strange, rectangular... Window thing in her cape, leaving a hole in the wrapping for her arm - and so she could see, now doubt. I saw a light come from the window, and she tapped some things on it. Then I heard a noise of some sort. _Was **that** supposed to be music? _ It sounded so foreign, so different, plus it was muffled. And when the singing came - no idea how that was even possible - I grew concerned... They lyrics were depressing;

 

**_"This place is haunting me! Jump through the rope let's make it credible, when blood is all we see. Life is impossible - death is coming 'round like a hurricane swirling, we're on the clock and the needles turning. The misery's killing me slowly, give me a spark to work it out!"_ **

 

Alice handed her cape to Alfonse, which had her window in its depths. "I need you to throw it. You have a better arm, and no doubt a better aim. I need you to get it right in front of them. Can you do that?"

 

 Alfonse nodded. Alice and I watched as he stepped forward, lifted the cape and threw it out into the field - he was sure to keep within the cover provided by the forest. And then Alice's plan went into action; as predicted, the soldiers hovered over the cape, unwrapping it and picking up Alice's window - _phone,_ she called it - and tapped at the screen, but no light came from it. Perhaps it only responded to Alice? I turned my gaze to Alice, who fiddled with Breidablik, as if she was looking for something specific, Alfonse hovering beside her. "Hmm, no safety lock - lit," Alice muttered, before aiming Breidablik outwards, towards the sword unit. She took a deep breath and fired.

 

There was a flash of light, clearly what our Summoner was not expecting, nor were the Emblians, for they dropped Alice's phone and covered their eyes, and Alice herself just kinda stared in shock. Deciding that, once the light had died down and we were no doubt already spotted, Alfonse and I popped out of our hiding spots, drawing our weapons. However, what we did not expect was the presence of a 7th person, someone who looked neither Askran nor Emblian...

 

**Alice's POV (again because first Hero summoned n stuff):**

_Niles._

 

The name echoed in my mind as soon as my eyes fell upon the newcomer, who stood behind Alfonse and Anna. His hair was white, and he wore an outfit that looked something akin to a pirate's - he even had the cape and boots to add to the pirate-esque theme. He held a bow, I could see that from behind him. With hesitation, I came out of the hiding spot, a strange weight seemingly being lifted from my chest. I shoved Breidablik back into its holster, now standing beside this new man - _with Niles._

 

He looked down at me, and it was then I noticed that his skin was a sickly chocolate color of sorts, and an eyepatch covered one of his eyes. He had a seemingly twisted smile, and I shivered under his gaze. "My my, what have we here~? A lovely, young girl with her companions..." His tone made me uncomfortable, made me think back to _him_ , made me think back to my disgusting father. I wanted nothing more than to sneak back to Anna. Hell, even Alfonse ~~even though he still kinda scared me~~ would make better company than this Niles character.

 

I heard something over from the other soldiers, those that were from Embla. My gaze turned to Anna, who looked back at me to see what our course of action was going to be, as if I had unofficially been pointed out as a tactician. I gulped. I wanted to run. I wanted turn around and go as far away from here as possible. I took a step back, causing Anna to furrow her eyebrows in concern... _Or was it regret?_

 

I believe Alfonse had taken what I said earlier into account. He looked to Niles, stating one simple thing: "Stay close to her, protect her at all costs." And then he went off, heading to engage the axe unit. Anna had taken a similar course of action, watching as the lance unit approached her until she began her assault, leaving only the sword unit, Niles and I left to get to work.

 

As soon as the sound of a blade meeting flesh had sounded, I felt the sick sensation of needing to throw up rise to my throat. I felt myself take a step back, and my hands shot up to my mouth. Niles, who seemed to note this, didn't seem to want to wait any longer for something to happen, and simply prepared an arrow, before taking aim and releasing. I could hear the pointy stick of death rip right through the other's throat. It all happened so fast, everything around me became so dense and incomprehensible. 

 

...I should've known this would happen. I should've known that it'd hurt me, yet I came along anyway - _how could I be so stupid?_ I felt two hands grasp my shoulders, I could see Anna trying to say something to me, but it was all drowned out by... Wait, _I was hyperventilating? How did I not notice before?_ I tried to calm myself, tried to even out my breathing pattern. I heard a scream in the back of my head, I heard _my_ scream in the back of my head. Out of instinct, I ripped myself from the grip on my shoulder's. "Please, i-it was an accident, I-I didn't mean to-!"

 

And then it all ceased. The screaming in my head was gone, the scenes of the previous battlefield was covered by Alfonse, Niles and Anna. The only thing that was left were gazes of concern, even from Niles ~~though it seemed rather out of character, don't know why it felt like that~~. Though her voice was hesitant, Anna spoke with a voice laced with concern. "...Alice... Are you alright?"

 

I heard nervous shuffling from Alfonse and Niles. They were unsure of what was going on, and Anna was too. I shook my head. No, they can't know, father would **_kill_** me if I said something to someone... If I were even going to go back. _Would I even be able to go back?_ I could really only hope that I couldn't. Alfonse pitched in this time. "Alice, what-"

 

"It's nothing, I didn't mean to yell like that, none of it was intentional." I felt the need to cut him off, and he grimaced in worry, though there was no doubt it was only because the condition of a fresh tactician was important. I sighed and pointed off towards the direction we were headed before. "Hey, in case you guys forgot, we still have someone to save! So, onward!"

 

I gathered the only courage I could find, which was very little, and moved past the trio before me, thoroughly ignoring the fresh scent of death... I still felt the need to throw up, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To those of you who don't know what having flat feet is like... Well, imagine always walking on the inner part of your feet. Disaster follows that - your shoes get ruined a lot faster (shoes only last me like 2 months if I don't wear arch supports) and frequent back pains follow as well. It is pure suffering.
> 
> Also, the song that was playing from Alice's cellular device is Marigold by Periphery. Here's a link should you be interested:  
> Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/track/2YZZ8qsDdvC008LgtpMoI6?si=2r3IRExQQ0yZToX20jiLEQ  
> YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmtU2WJfPgU
> 
> Also, sorry for a bad chapter I'll make up for it somehow-


	4. The World of Mystery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NOW WE REALLY GET SHARENA-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I heccin' realized that I didn't add Sharena in the last chapter so lmao let's gO.
> 
> I apologize before hand if she is OOC Sharena is p hard for me to write.

**Alfonse's POV:**

To say that I was concerned about Alice's earlier begging was an understatement. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since it happened. When Alice started heading off towards the direction of the World of Mystery, she immediately came back, grabbed her cloak and phone - I think that's what it was called - and stopped the music before turning back to head towards the World of Mystery. Anna was already talking to who I recognized as Niles, from the Kingdom of Nohr - he was Prince Leo's retainer. And well, with no desire to speak to Niles, I walked on ahead, passing Alice so then I could go back to keeping an eye out for more Emblians, as I was more than certain that Alice had no desire to speak. That was, of course, until she called my name and sped up to walk next to me.

 

"Alfonse, I have a question," she started, now that she had her cloak on again, her hands rested behind her back. She sounded much calmer now than before, though there was still that innocent hint of anxiety in her voice. I nodded, signaling for her to continue with her question. "...So I assume I'm going to be staying here for the entire war. But, will I go back once it's over?"

 

"..."

 

I couldn't bring myself to force out a reply. I was expecting that question at some point, but it was so early and so _carefree._ I couldn't help but shakily exhale. What was I supposed to answer with? ...I felt a pressure of sorts on my arm, and it caused me to look back down at Alice - she looked so... Gods, I have no idea how to explain it. She didn't seem upset, that much I could say. "It's okay if you say no - I won't mind!" I raised an eyebrow. Worry settled back into my mind - _was this child alright?_

 

"Is there a specific reason for that?"

 

While my question merely of curiosity, it seemed to already do some sort of damage, for she cringed ~~I could barely see it~~ and her hand immediately fled from my arm. But then she smiled and looked back up at me, her smile holding some form of thoughtfulness. "I'm just not attached to home, that's all!" I could still hear that slight anxiety, but I decided not to dwell much upon it... _For now._ So I just nodded and looked on ahead.

 

It wasn't long after that little chat that something strange had occurred. An odd mist was rolling in which seemed to make Alice rather nervous, for her eyes darted back and forth and she didn't seem to be able to relax - not that I blamed her. All I could really do to help her feel somewhat safe though, was to carefully push her behind me so I could act as a shield between her and whatever may come to us.

 

...I saw the black leg of a horse poke out of the fog just as Anna and Niles had caught up to us. Alice's hand had come to grasp the Commander's arm, and no words of complaint came from her. So I simply looked back at where I saw the horse begin to emerge before - it was tall and menacing, the eyes red and piercing. Upon it was a man equally as menacing. He had brown skin and white, somewhat messy hair. A mask covered his eyes, so they were unable to be seen. His armor consisted of both Emblian and Askran colors, strangely enough.

 

Anna was the first to act. With Alice still holding onto her arm, the Commander called out; "Who are you, stranger?" Her voice was harsh, and one could see the slightest hint of a flinch on the stranger's face. I knew Anna was scary at times, but to be able to fright a man of this magnitude? Truly, it was an accomplishment, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride over someone who had the ability to perform such a feat. Still, the weight of the situation was a heavy one.

 

I decided that I perhaps should step in too. After all, I didn't feel like Anna could interrogate on her own - not that I doubted her skills, but I felt like she wouldn't be able to do enough on her own. So, I mustered up as much courage as I could, then gave a call of my own. "You! Tell us - are you a soldier in the Emblian Empire? If so, then you stand on the side of evil. The empire shouldn't be entering the worlds of Heroes - let alone conquering them!"

 

...There was a silence from the man at first. I could hear Niles scoff, and I looked behind me to see him getting an arrow prepared. "I'm not sure I like your attitude, mister - perhaps I'll have to discipline you." A small smirk crawled up on his lips, and I immediately looked away; Niles was a rather strange man, and it made me uncomfortable.

 

I didn't get much time to dwell over it. I heard a chuckle from the mounted soldier before us, so my attention was immediately drawn to him. "Oh, really?" His hand reached was held out to his side, as if he were ready to call upon a powerful magic. I couldn't help but brace myself for something that would no doubt be devastating. He began to speak once more. " I suppose you want us to close the gateways too? Hmpf. _In your dreams_." There was a strange emphasis at that last part. With what seemed to be a flick of his wrist, the fog came closer and closer, consuming his being.

 

I took a step forward, determined to find him in this damn mess. "How dare you! Where are you going? Get back here and answer for yourself!" I don't know how much venom was set into my voice, but it was obvious I was not happy with how this run-in with that stranger. I seemed to be so deep in rage though, that I could barely hear the faint call of my name.

 

"...fonse! Alfonse!"

 

I felt a small, fragile hand tug at my sleeve, and with hesitance, I looked down at the source - Alice. Her furrowed eyebrows caused some of the top of her nose bridge to scrunch up. "He's gone... He gave off such a strange vibe, I could feel it, but... He's gone now, that vibe is gone. So please calm down - I don't like it when people are like this."

 

I was hesitant. But I decided to trust her, and took a moment to loosen myself up and take my calm demeanor once more. Quickly, my arm was released from Alice's gentle grasp. She rubbed the back of her head, then looked forward into the fog that had yet to disappear. "We should keep going - if we make a human chain, we can stick together quite easily. If I remember correctly, all we need is a source of light to help with the fog..." Already, she was going back to coming up with a plan. While I was hesitant to admit it, I feel like we perhaps wouldn't have gotten this far without her.

 

* * *

 

I could not feel any bigger relief when I saw Sharena unharmed when we made it to the World of Mystery. We found her near the gate that connected Zenith and Mystery together, and she seemed to be okay - she was free of injuries, but she held a small pout, no doubt because it had taken so long for us to get here. I heard Niles swooning quietly behind me... It was disturbing, and it took me some of my willpower to not turn around and scold him. Alice snickered slightly, but when I cast a glance back at her, she immediately stopped and looked away, clear fright on her face. I frowned, but shrugged it off for now and turned to Sharena, who looked up at me in some form of irritated relief.

 

"Brother! Commander! There you are, what took you so long?" Sharena let herself approach me, throwing an arm around me in some sort of half-embrace. I couldn't help but pat her back in response, and Anna came to join us as well, pulling Alice along with her, though the latter was sure to keep her gaze towards the ground.

 

I sighed, rubbing the back of my hand after releasing Sharena, though Anna and Sharena both had an arm across each other's shoulders. "Sorry Sharena, we had to fight our way here." My voice kinda faltered, perhaps it was a shame of sorts. Honestly, I wasn't sure what I was feeling.

 

I watched as Sharena turned her gaze to someone behind me. "Who's this with you?" Her voice was full of curiosity. I turned my head to follow her gaze, and realized it led to Alice, who seemed to try to withdraw from the attention suddenly placed on her. I tilted my head, then decided that perhaps it'd be best if I were the one to introduce her, and I was going to do just that, but then I saw that she seemed ready to speak herself.

 

With a looked to be a short inhale, the Summoner spoke. "I-I'm Alice Pendrue, m-ma'am!" I watched as she cringed at the way she stuttered, and I could see the way she nervously fidgeted under my gaze, as the tip of her ears turned red.

 

**Sharena's POV:**

Ya know, when I thought of the Great Hero, I never thought it was going to be someone as adorable as Alice! But here she was, standing before me with such a nervous facial expression. It was almost as if someone just dumped a ray of sunshine in front of me. I could see the way my brother watched her, perhaps out of concern - even though Alfonse was distant, he was still easily concerned for the well-being of others. 

 

I decided to study Alice a bit more, and in doing so, I managed to make a great discovery: Alice was holding Breidablik - and it was shining too! I couldn't help but gasp in awe, pointing to it as so to show everyone else. "Oh my! You're holding the divine relic... and it's all aglow!"

 

Alice seemed surprised by this bit of info. She looked down at her belt, where Breidablik hung, and her eyes widened in awe. "Sweet Jesus, it _is_ glowing! What does that mean?" Her eyes wandered to Anna, but the Commander's eyes wandered to Alfonse, and so did my own. I watched as my brother studied the relic before sighing in defeat, shaking his head to say that he didn't know.

 

It took me a while to notice the presence of someone else amongst our group - his sickly, brown skin was really an eyecatcher, now that I really thought over it. I tilted my head, and got ready to ask into it, until the sound of flapping wings caught our attention. Without hesitation, the new person inched closer to Alice, as did Anna. I brought my gaze up to the sky, noticing the presence of one wyvern and three pegasi. It wasn't long until their shadows passed over us, turning to be able to meet our gaze.

 

The sound of weapons being readied filled the air, and I watched as my brother stepped forward, Fólkvangr drawn but lowered. I could hear take a small, inward breath, before looking up at the red-headed woman. Before he could get the chance to speak, she did so first.

 

"Begone, outsiders! I am Minerva, Princess of Macedon. Now, I'll warn you once - return to your world...!"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, finally updated! Sorry this took long, my motivation to write has been going to those other short stories, and finals are soon for me - next week, in fact. *Screams in Native American.*
> 
> Anyway, don't forget to check out this ask blog I have for Alice - there is only one post on there so far, but I need more people to ask questions so there can be more stuff on it!  
> https://askran-hero.tumblr.com/


End file.
